Share Trading comparison
CommSec vs Halo Technologies
The biggest difference between CommSec and Halo Technologies isn't the brokerage — it's the fee structure. CommSec charges zero monthly or annual platform fees and a flat $5 ASX brokerage (with a CDIA). Halo charges $159 a month ($1,908 a year) plus $19/month for market data. That makes Halo a fundamentally different proposition: a premium, all-in-one wealth platform rather than a low-cost trade-execution service.
Choose
CommSec
if…
- ›You want the lowest possible ongoing costs — CommSec has no monthly, annual or inactivity fees, and ASX trades start at $5 with a linked CDIA.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and your own HIN, so shares are held in your name on the ASX register, not in a custodian arrangement.
- ›You trade infrequently or in smaller parcels — the $5 minimum brokerage is hard to beat, and there's no penalty for sitting on your hands.
- ›You want a full-service bank-integrated experience with CBA's app, BPAY, cash deposits at branches and instant CDIA withdrawals.
- ›You need access to 13 international markets beyond the US, plus options trading, IPOs and bonds — all without a monthly subscription.
Choose
Halo Technologies
if…
- ›You want sophisticated auto-invest and portfolio automation — Halo offers multiple levels of DCA and rebalancing that CommSec doesn't have.
- ›You trade large volumes and the $159 monthly fee is easily absorbed — the $15 minimum brokerage and 0.12% rate kick in at a lower threshold ($12,500 vs CommSec's $25,000).
- ›You prefer a custodian model where Halo handles corporate actions, tax reporting and multi-currency settlement seamlessly behind the scenes.
- ›You want access to 30 global exchanges from a single login, including European and Asia-Pacific markets beyond what CommSec covers.
- ›You're willing to pay for premium features and research — Halo's platform fee bundles tools that CommSec either doesn't offer or charges separately for.
Where they differ
| Fact | CommSec | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 (with CDIA) | $15 |
| CHESS sponsorship | CHESS — individual HIN | Custodian — no individual HIN |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Not available | Multiple levels available |
Verdict
Choose CommSec for low-cost, CHESS-sponsored trading; choose Halo only if you'll use its automation tools enough to justify $2,000+ a year in fees.
Cost calculator
What would CommSec vs Halo Technologies actually cost you?
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | CommSec | Halo Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual HIN | Yes | No |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | — |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden | US (NASDAQ, NYSE), UK, Europe, Japan (NIKKEI), Asia Pacific, 30 exchanges total |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | Yes |
| Options trading | Yes | — |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds supported | Yes | — |
| IPO access | Yes | — |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.55% | 0.5% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.55% | 0.5% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | — |
| FX currency switch trick | No | — |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $19/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | — |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (SPP, rights issue, takeovers, demergers, dividend payments) are not separately charged by CommSec. They are processed via the share registry/issuer. CommSec does not send trade confirmations for off-market events, so Sharesight/other tracker sync requires manual updates. Failed-settlement fees apply if payment is late ($10 minimum or 0.66% above $1,500). | — |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $15 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.12% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $12,500 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Conditional: $5 minimum requires linked CDIA (Commonwealth Direct Investment Account) or CommSec Margin Loan as the settlement account AND CHESS sponsorship with CommSec. Without CDIA linkage, brokerage starts at $29.95 for trades up to $9,999.99 and 0.31% above. Promotional $0 brokerage offers occasionally run for new customers (e.g. 30 free trades up to $50,000 each, May–Nov 2026 offer for new sign-ups). | Promotional offer: $0 brokerage on trades up to $250,000 (per landing page /0-brokerage-on-trades-up-to-250000); standard FSG schedule remains $15/0.12%. Conditions not fully disclosed publicly. |
| US brokerage minimum | US$5 | US$15 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.12% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $159/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $2,508/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | — |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | — |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | — |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | HALO Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 54 623 830 866); ultimately wholly owned by HALO Technologies Holdings Limited ABN 73 645 531 219 |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 484,264 |
| Year founded | 1,995 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | HALO Technologies Holdings Limited (ASX:HAL) — ultimate parent; publicly listed |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | — |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | — |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct debit, Bank transfer (CDIA), Cheque, Cash deposit (CBA branch/ATM) | AUD bank transfer / direct credit (to HALO trust account) |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) / T+1 (US) | — |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (instant when funds in CDIA via real-time transfer) | — |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | — |
| Demo account | No | — |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | — |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat (in-app), secure mail (in-platform), social media (X, Instagram) | phone, email, live chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Phone 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Sydney time (general & options); extended trading-hours support during ASX session. No 24/7 support. | — |
| Education content | structured courses | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | — |
| CGT calculator / report | No | — |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | — |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | — |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | — |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | multiple |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | — |